Reinforced pocket structure



- Oct. 16, 1956 G, GERHART 2,766,460

REINFORCED POCKET STRUCTURE Filed Aug. 20, 1954 1 N VEN TOR I CECIL GORDON GERHART mama ATTORNEYQS REINFORCED POCKET STRUCTURE Cecil Gordon Gerhart,

Magnolia Ark. assignor to N & W Industries,

Incorporated, Lynchburg, Va., a

The present invention relates to textile fabrics and more particularly to woven drill material intended for pocketing purposes.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a woven fabric embodying areas of increased density which constitute integral wear-resistant reinforcement thereof.

A second object of the invention is the provision of a pocket which has a multiplied serviceability and effectiveness.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a woven fabric possessed of predetermined wear-resistant characteristics.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a drill pocketing wherein wear-resistance is obtained with out the addition thereto of excessive weight and/ or bulk.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be readily apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a section cut from a length of a drill pocketing material Woven in accordance with the invention, showing in dotted lines, a manner of pocket pattern arrangement disposed transversely thereof;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged diagrammatic sectional view thereof taken substantially along the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of a modified form of my invention, again showing in dotted lines, a manner of pocket pattern arrangement disposed transversely of the material, and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view of trousers embodying a pocket formed of my material, showing the location of the reinforced area therein.

It is well recognized that the pockets of most garments fail most quickly along the bottom edges thereof. This is particularly true where there exists a seam joining the two fabric sections constituting the pocket. Frequently, the pockets are made of double-thicknesses of material to resist this wear or at times an insert is added to protect the bottom seam. Such expedients add excessive bulk to the pockets destroying style lines of articles of clothing in which they are utilized. Fabrics formed of threads which are more wear-resistant than the usual cotton filaments are less flexible and generally heavier, thus precluding their adoption for general usage as pocketing material. All of these proposals for improving pocket life add materially to the cost thereof, a further deterring factor in modern times.

Briefly stated integral reinforcement of pocketing material according to my invention is obtained by increasing the density of the material in those areas most subject to physical deterioration by increasing the number of warp yarns present in such areas from about to per cent.

2,766,460 Patented Oct; 16, 1956 ice,

The woven fabric 1 of the invention can be of any grade, that is, thread count per inch, depending, of course, upon the ultimate density and weight of fabric desired. The ordinary drill pocketing material customarily has a 72 by 60 count, or 72 warp threads 3 and 60 filling threads 4 per square inch of fabric.

To obtain the improved properties in this pocketing material, in accordance with my inventive concept, the density of the woven fabric 1 is increased in predetermined areas 5 by raising the number of warp threads 3 present in those areas. The number of filling or weft threads 4 remains constant. This increased density materially enhances the resistance of the fabric 1 to physical deterioration in the reinforced areas, without affecting to any pronounced degree the appearance thereof. It has been ascertained, for example, that an-increase of approximately 35% in the number of warp threads, an increase of from 72 to warp threads per inch, will result in a five-fold increase in the effective life of pockets wherein such material is employed. A further increase in the number of warp threads 3 has been tested but the resultant fabric is stiff and unmanageable, and accordingly of no practical utility as pocketing material.

In order to delineate the areas 5 of increased density of the fabric 1, aiding in subsequent lay-out and cutting operations, indicia warp threads 6 are incorporated in the fabric at the edges of the areas 5. Since the thread sizes and/or weights are preferably uniform throughout the material, it is contemplated to have the indicia threads 6 colored to contrast with the base color of the material for improved distinctiveness.

Manufacture of my improved pocketing material entails no special difliculties and it is possibleto use conventional looms and standard procedures. Although it is preferred to use cotton thread or fibers in the formation of the pocketing material, other types of fibers including the synthetics may be employed therein. The strength and weight of the warp and filling threads can be varied within wide limits. It is prefer-red, however, that the threads in a particular weave be uniform throughout.

As best shown in Figure 4, a pocket 10, in this instance a hip pocket inserted in trousers 11, is formed of a single section cut from the pocketing material lay-out illustrated in Figure 3, folded upon itself with the denser area 5 constituting the bottom of the pocket and sewed along the spaced side edges 12 and 13. The pocket is secured to the trousers 11 at the top edge thereof along the waist band in the customary manner with an exterior opening 15 being provided. The wear resistant, dense area 5 of the pocketing material thus is located at the point most subjected to wear, while elimination of the usual bottom seam precludes premature venting in this area by thread failure.

There being no additional bulk in the pocket 10 per se, the styling of the trousers 11 need not be altered to compensate, therefor. Similarly, it is possible to form replacement pockets of my improved material since the over-all fabric weight is comparable to standard materials.

It will, at once, be obvious that various modifications of the described pocketing material, the manner of its weave and the physical characteristics thereof are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claim.

What I claim is:

A pocket structure for interior attachment to wearing apparel, said pocket comprising an elongated strip of woven material, the warp and weft threads of which are of uniform size, weight and composition, having an inter- References Cited in the file of this patent mediate area extending transversely across the strip, the, UNITED STATES PATENTS density of said intermediate area being from 20 to 40% greater than that of the remainer of the strip occasioned 1457813 Barrow June 1923 by an increased number of warp threads only in such area 5 FOREIGN PATENTS through which said strip is folded back upon itself and 706 249 Great Britain Mar 24 1954 side seams uniting the abutting edges of material to pro- 7231764 France 1932 vide a receiving envelope with a fold line at the bottom thereof and integral reinforcement extending upwardly therefrom for increased wear resistance in the lower por- 10 tion of said envelope. 

